Kukla's Korner Hockey

Christin Kolzig was trying to hold a conversation when son Carson climbed into her lap and whispered in her ear. “Can we do it now?” he asked. “I can’t now,” Christin said. But Carson, who turns 8 on Jan. 1, was persistent in his quest for help setting up a favorite video game on his laptop. Christin laughed like she was being tickled and called husband, Olie, to get their son settled. “You learn to appreciate these moments,” Christin said. “You just realize what a miracle it is to have happy kids. In our world, you forget about that stuff.”

The Kolzigs’ world changed forever when Carson, at 15 months, was diagnosed with autism. It was devastating, said Olie, the Lightning’s backup goaltender. And it took time for the family, which now includes daughters Kendall, 6, and Ashlyn, 5, to realize what it faced.